Warning Sign
by Keeperofthemoon0
Summary: In which Draco Malfoy finds himself on dates with Ginny Weasley, whether he likes it or not.
1. Date One

Author's Note: These are drabbles I've been posting on Tumblr for some time now about my favorite couple. Some dates are longer than others. Please enjoy! (Date one is, perhaps, the shortest of them all.)

* * *

"Do you always look so bloody miserable, Malfoy?"

"No. It's only because you're here," Draco drawled.

She snorted in amusement and a reluctant smirk tugged at his lips.

It wasn't on purpose that Draco Malfoy was sharing his afternoon with the youngest Weasley. She had sat down at his table uninvited over an hour ago, a camera clutched in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, talking to him as though they were old friends—which they certainly weren't. At first, he had spent plenty of energy trying to force her to leave him be but he had accepted defeat long ago. The daft girl wanted to sit and talk to him and nothing he did would change her mind, though he had tried it all. Threatening her made her talk louder, ignoring her made her more determined to get his attention, and insulting her made her laugh.

Worst off, if he took too long to respond to her, she'd begin taking pictures of him.

"What do you plan on doing with those photographs of me?" he asked warily.

"Come now, Malfoy, I have to prove to my friends that you were willing to spend time with me somehow," she answered with a grin.

Draco blinked in surprise.

"But I'm rather _unwilling,_ " he pointed out. "Or have you not picked up on that?"

Her face brightened but she didn't reply.


	2. Date Two

"You do realize this is considered stalking, right?"

"Stalking?" Ginny laughed loudly, attracting the attention of the tables around them.

Draco looked less than pleased but Ginny hardly minded, far too used to the eyes of the public on her. She settled in the seat across from him and noted that a scowl marred his face at her arrival. But he didn't ask her to leave or begin to berate her like he had the last time she had done this. This time he just eyed her warily. Then he spoke again, his voice light and emotionless.

"Following me around," he elaborated. "Showering me with unwanted and _obsessive_ attention."

She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her coffee that she had brought in with her.

"Don't count yourself so lucky, Malfoy," Ginny replied, grinning.

When he continued to stare at her blankly, Ginny stood abruptly from her seat.

"Do you think I'm weird? That you're too good to spend time with me?" she asked.

Draco blinked.

"Yes." He paused. "And yes."

A smile broke out across her face and she stood tall. Then she placed her coffee cup on her head and tried to balance it without holding onto it. Ginny knew she looked goofy and could tell from the panic that entered his eyes that he didn't appreciate what she was doing.

"Do you think I'll drop it?" Ginny questioned seriously. "Would you be very embarrassed? Me spilling coffee all over myself in public? The _Daily Prophet_ would surely write an article about it, and include you."

" _Why_ are you bothering me?" Draco's voice pitched high with annoyance.

 _Because you look lonely every time I see you._

Ginny raised her eyebrows, ignoring her thoughts.

"My camera is in my bag, Malfoy, if you'd like to take a picture."

"I'll pass, I'm afraid," he hissed.

Ginny shrugged and the cup wobbled dangerously on her head. She laughed when Draco pointedly looked away from her. Taking the cup off her head, Ginny sat across from Draco again.

She wanted to ask him if he was as lonely as he looked but she held back. Now wasn't the time, she supposed. And Ginny knew it was likely going to make him shut down more than he already was. Instead, she stared at him until he met her eyes again.

"Yes?" he asked suspiciously.

"Would you like a scone? This one is on me. And, before you ask, _yes_ , I can afford to buy us both scones."

Ginny had never been more surprised than when she saw the corner of his lip curl up, if only for a second. Then he sighed dramatically and the moment was lost.

"I suppose, Weasley."


	3. Date Three

When Draco spotted her initially he froze. Instinct told him to turn on his heel and walk in the opposite direction as quickly as possible so she wouldn't notice him—but he hesitated. It wasn't often that Draco had a chance to study Ginny Weasley without her realizing. And as she stared out the window of the café, lost in thought, he found he was rather transfixed.

She was pretty, though that had been common knowledge since their days at Hogwarts. But, without anyone distracting her, the smile that usually brightened her face was gone. It was odd to see her without it, to be honest. The last two times Draco had been forced to spend time with her, she had been obnoxiously happy and outgoing. He was sure if he placed Weasley in front of a wall, she'd be able to have a steady conversation with it.

What could she possibly be so lost in thought about?

She was probably wondering what Potter was doing.

Draco scoffed and was ready to continue on his way, both amused and dismayed by his thoughts, when she turned her head slightly. And she spotted him. Ginny's eyebrows rose high on her forehead at the sight of him, staring at her from outside the café. He could only imagine what was going through her mind now. Something annoying, most likely.

He could almost hear her voice smugly saying to him, "Ha! Look who the stalker is now."

His lips tugged into a small grin when she pointed to him and then pointed to the front door. Knowing there was no way to avoid talking to her, Draco licked his lips before heading towards the café entrance. He smoothly dodged a group of people crammed at the front trying to order from the barista and looked to where she was sitting.

That infuriating smile was back on her face.

Draco wouldn't admit it to anyone _ever_ but he was relieved to see it. It made it easier for him to saunter over to her table and greet her with a twitch of an eyebrow and a frown.

"Draco Malfoy," Weasley called, excited. "What are you doing in Diagon Alley today?"

He took a seat. Without allowing him time to answer, Ginny leaned forward eagerly.

"Were you looking for me?" she whispered.

He took a deep breath and released it slowly.

"No, Weasley," he drawled.

"What had you said? 'Stalking is considered obsessive and unwanted attention?'" she mocked, biting her lip as her smile grew.

Draco leaned back in his seat, folding his arms over his chest. He _knew_ she was going to say that.

"I wasn't stalking you," Draco began but she started laughing.

"You were watching me from the other side of the street!"

Bloody hell. Why had he come inside?

"I couldn't look away from the unsightly blemishes on your face," he told her, waving his right hand lazily.

"They're called freckles, Malfoy," Ginny responded dryly. "And some people find them adorable."

He scoffed and looked out the window. Early morning in Diagon Alley was generally calm, except for those fighting for a quick coffee or tea before work. Today was no exception. His eyes lingered on the few people walking by before glancing back at Weasley, who was watching him with her head propped up by her hand. Of course, with so few people in Diagon Alley, he had ended up here the same time as her.

"Some people are also mental," Draco pointed out.

"That doesn't mean they're one in the same," Ginny quipped. "Where were you heading before you decided to come join me for a coffee?"

Then she paused and noticed he had never bought a drink for himself. Weasley tilted her head.

"Do you want a coffee?" she questioned.

"Not particularly, no," he said, shifting uncomfortably under her stare. "I was heading to _Quality Quidditch Supplies_ , actually. I should be on my way, I hadn't meant to stop in."

He stood abruptly and she frowned. But the frown disappeared quickly, replaced by her familiar smile. Had he only imagined the slight dismay on her face? The idea of it left him uneasy. This was, after all, the quickest meetup there had been yet between the two of them. Normally Draco was forced to remain in her company for over an hour. It felt odd seeing her so briefly.

Draco hesitated, gripping the back of his chair as he looked down at her.

Then he sighed, already hating himself.

"You play Quidditch, don't you?" Draco asked.

Ginny narrowed her eyes.

"I play for the Holyhead Harpies, Malfoy."

Draco knew that. But he wasn't going to admit that out loud. Instead, he leaned down and tilted his head towards the exit.

"Do you want to join me?"

The words felt like they got tangled in his throat. He certainly sounded more nervous than he had wanted. Resisting the urge to openly cringe, both at his decision to invite Weasley out with him and the fact that his voice had sounded like he was going through puberty again, Draco waited for her response.

Her face relaxed as she looked over him. Why was it taking her so long to answer him? Normally it was _Weasley_ bothering _him_! Now he was the one waiting for her acceptance? Irritation crept up his spine and he was ready to stalk away before he saw her smirk.

"Alright, let's go," she said excitedly.

Her energy was contagious and his annoyance left him as quickly as it had arrived. Draco felt the familiar reluctant smirk, which only seemed to appear when he was around Ginny, pull at his lips. She grabbed her bag and stood.

"Then we can stop by my brothers' shop," Weasley said. "I even brought my camera."

Draco let out a loud, annoyed sigh and she laughed. He was going to regret this, wasn't he?


	4. Date Four

"Why do you insist on staring at me with that dumb expression on your face? I've begun to think it's permanent, Weasley."

Ginny was torn between reaching over to punch Draco hard in the arm or laughing at him. He seemed to know this, for he was watching her face carefully. Scowling, she opted for a different option and leaned in towards him.

He froze, as he often did whenever she got too close, but she ignored it.

"I never expected to see you in Muggle London, is all," she told him.

And it was the truth.

After their last meetup in Diagon Alley, where they spent far too much time testing each other's knowledge on the latest broom models and recently traded Quidditch players in the league, Ginny had been surprised to find that after they went their separate ways—Merlin, help her—she had begun to miss Malfoy's company. He was snarky and annoying, and far too much of a prat still, but he kept her on her toes and was a welcome diversion from her normal routine.

Ginny had been even more surprised that when she decided to owl him on a whim, inviting him out on an adventure, that he had sent back a letter _accepting_ her invitation. Sure, when she had first run into Draco ages ago, looking pathetically sad as he sat by himself, she had been determined to lift his mood. But she hadn't expected that, months later, he'd continue to accept her presence so well.

Now here they were, wandering through Muggle London together. Malfoy had shown up dressed in the closest thing to Muggle attire that Ginny had ever seen him in, as if he knew that she planned on taking him from the familiar comfort of Diagon Alley and out into a world he once despised. Possibly still despised. She wasn't sure.

But he didn't seem too troubled by the world around him, other than when he was forced to communicate with anyone besides her. And… he did look rather handsome, didn't he? Ginny would never tell him that, of course, in fear of him running and taking that information to the press but…

Her eyes lingered on his lips as they curled into a tiny smirk.

"Well, it's not likely that you'll find…" He grabbed a record at random and turned it over so he could read the cover. " _Pink Floyd, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn_ at Flourish and Blotts, now, is it?"

He went to throw it carelessly back into the bin but Ginny snatched it before it left his grasp. Draco glanced at her, eyebrows lifting. Her camera, which hung from her neck, slapped her chest hard at the sudden movement.

"You can't possibly want that one too?" Malfoy drawled, sounding torn between annoyance and amusement.

She shrugged.

"You already have all these."

Draco lifted his hand up, showing her the various records she had already picked out. He had insisted on holding them for her—though by "insisted" it was more like snatching them from her grasp angrily. At first, Ginny had been sure he was going to chuck them back into the bin and her face had grown red in anger. But Draco had simply tucked them comfortably under his arm and continued walking through the store.

"Yeah, so? The point of coming here is to buy new records and explore different types of music, Malfoy."

"Muggle music."

"Sharp as a Hippogriff, you are."

She had to fight back laughter as his expression darkened. He clearly picked up on her reference to his third year. Feeling the weight of the camera against her chest, reminding her of its presence, Ginny lifted it up to her eye. Malfoy let out a loud, exasperated sigh at the sight of it. But he didn't look away as she aimed it at him.

"Smile for once, will you?"

He looked irritatingly handsome as he glared at her.


	5. Date 5

"You don't exactly look like you've ever gotten dirt beneath your nails on purpose."

"Of course not. _Why_ would I do that?" he paused, frowning as he thought over what she said. "Are you calling me a priss?"

She looked like she was fighting a grin as she looked over at him.

"You said it. Not me."

His eyes narrowed but Ginny had already looked away, her attention on the beautiful plants around them. Her fingers lightly skimmed the petals of the flowers they walked by.

Of course it was true what Weasley thought and he had a feeling she knew that. While his mother had always loved gardening, helping grow life at Malfoy Manor despite the darkness that lingered there, Draco found he rather enjoyed watching the process from afar. Dirt and grime were not things he generally liked associating with.

Now, as he followed Ginny through the alley of flowers, he found himself struck by the same desire to simply _watch_. Ginny walked through the florae as though she belonged there. Draco imagined she had spent many days of her childhood playing in the mud with her idiotic brothers, gardening with her mother, climbing trees with the help of her father.

She was wild, pretty, and dangerous… just like the plants around them.

Draco's eyebrows twitched.

Perhaps the flowers weren't _dangerous_ , per se, but Ginny certainly was. Draco realized the threat that lurked in the youngest Weasley far after he should've. Within a matter of months, she had managed to disarm him completely. The shield he had carefully constructed years ago to keep safe crumbled a little every time she did something that made him laugh. His attempt to keep her at bay had failed.

And… suddenly Draco found he wanted to spent time with her. He wanted to see her. Making her smile was almost a necessity now, something he craved day to day.

"Hurry up, Malfoy, before I let some dashing young man steal me away and entertain me since _you_ aren't bothering to."

Draco focused on her. Red, white, purple, blue, yellow—the colors from the blossoms that surrounded her as she looked over her shoulder and met his eyes only highlighted her soft features. She winked at him.

Yes, Ginny Weasley was very dangerous.

"There is no one more dashing than me, Weasley."

Ginny tilted her head back and laughed as he reached her. Seemingly without thought, she reached out and wrapped her tiny hand around his arm. Her touch made his skin tingle.


End file.
